The Sun Sets On The South Side
by TheBeaOf
Summary: Logan Mitchell is out for a walk when he stumbles upon a ghost from his past, who immediately begins to torment him. It is uncertain how far the ghost will go this time and Logan's first instinct is to run to Carlos' house. But then, due to a single wrong decision, Logan is swept into a world that he had never known before.


**A/N**: So, I know it's under drama and friendship, but there's a bunch of Logan angst featured in this. A small part of this idea (Carlos finding Logan) was inspired by the book _The Fortress of Solitude_ so major thanks to Jonathan Lethem for writing it. I pictured the bad neighborhood Logan gets stuck in similar to 1985A in _Back To The Future Part II _minus the tanks, casinos, and the motorcycles_. _Rated M because of frequent and heavy mentions of drugs. Thanks to BTR's acoustic version of 'Windows Down' because I had it on repeat while I wrote. I hope you enjoy this! :) (P.S.; you don't have to rate and review, but it will be greatly appreciated!)

**Possible Trigger Warnings**: bullies and drug deals.

* * *

Logan sighed, propelling himself upward from the science homework that he had been hovering over. He needed a break, that much was obvious, and a break was exactly what he was going to go after. He set down his pencil and used his small hands to push himself out of his seat. Crossing to the closet, he opened the doors and his eyes scanned the various garments or rather cardigans and sweaters. He liked his style; it was simple with just a touch of formal and, even if he was a genius, he didn't dress like one. Albeit, once he opened his mouth and shared at least part of the logic he had stored, it was _very_ obvious that his mind was as mature and sharp as an adult's, maybe even more so. Finally selecting something to layer on top of his red t-shirt, Logan exited his room and set down the stairs. He could feel his mother's fingers tapping against the keyboard on her laptop; no doubt, setting a price for a house or haggling a price. Logan was well aware that times were hard and selling houses was not an easy feat, so his mother would spend much of her time bargaining with her buyers. She was the best real estate agent he had seen in his life, and he hadn't even been on earth for that long.

"I'll be back in a few minutes, mom!" The fifteen year old boy said as he exited through the front door. Just as it creaked shut, he heard his mother's reply, "alright, Logan. Be careful!" He knew she trusted him because it was not like he was going to do anything illegal; he was too smart for that. Besides, the guys got him into enough trouble as it was whenever they hung out. He did not need to cause any trouble on his own. Wearing his favorite sweater, since the air was chilly even for an August evening, the brunette stuck his hands in his pockets leisurely as he set off away from his house. His motive behind going on such a walk was due to the pressure of schoolwork. One to panic under pressure, Logan decided on a spur of the moment decision that he would go out for a walk. He could clear his head and then he could return to the books. Of course, it was summer, but the spiky haired genius was taking an extension course at the local college. He was the guy who spent his summer productively, even if that meant slogging over essays and studying for tests when he could have been enjoying himself. He was currently preventing himself from reciting the parts of an animal cell, choosing to focus on the pavement in front of him. He wasn't scared of the Minnesota streets, since he had been living on them ever since the age of three, and now as a mature teenager, he knew he could take care of himself. Besides, it wasn't like he lived on the bad part of town. Logan grinned in spite of himself and even allowed his eyes to do a little roll as he continued walking. He vaguely wondered how the guys were doing and could predict what they were doing: Kendall was spending time with his mom and Katie, James was dancing around his room pretending to be a pop star for the millionth time, though this was only a guess as Logan had lost count after a hundred, and Carlos was thinking of different ways to fart. Okay, the genius wasn't entirely certain about that last one, but it was very plausible. The brunette grinned again, thinking about how his Hispanic friend was renowned among the group for his farts.

"Oh, Carlos..." He muttered to himself, still grinning. He didn't expect the ever increasing darkness around him to answer.

"That's right, Little Logan." The cold voice ceased Logan's grinning at once and his mouth flipped itself completely. His eyes widened as the realization of who was here with him sunk in; though he couldn't find this possible as the last he had heard of this person, he had been sent to juvenile detention. Alas, here he was; Jake Walker. He had been Logan's main tormentor ever since his freshman year. Jake had teased Logan mercilessly about the extraordinarily high level of his IQ. At first, the bullying had only been verbal, but then it became physical. When Logan began arriving home, sporting a bruised cheek and wincing at the littlest movement, his mother became concerned and contacted the school at once. Fortunately, Jake had been thrown into juvenile detention, but evidently he had just been released. Logan could tell from his eyes that he was ready for revenge and the shorter boy gulped. He took a small step back, unsure of why he was still standing here before he realized it was from shock. He would just have to buy himself time from being beat up until he came out of his shock and could run. He wouldn't run home, oh no, he would run until he left Jake far behind in the dust. The bully was much burlier than he was, and thus had more weight and muscle to carry. Logan was nimble and one of the fastest kids in the school. What was more, he knew how to pace himself so he wouldn't have to slow down in order to catch his breath. He could also outsmart this kid within a heartbeat. Why Logan couldn't just do that and leave Jake in the past was because Jake was ruthless when it came to bullying. He didn't care who the person was; if he wanted to bully them, he would, and they would get bullied. There was absolutely no way around it, and Logan was aware of that fact. It went without saying that he didn't like it, but he had to put up with it. "It's me, Jake! God, I've missed you, buddy! Come here and give me a hug!" Jake's tone was identical to the one he used on teachers: completely fake. Of course, Logan wasn't fooled.

"Um, no thanks... How was juvy?" He asked tentatively, gulping inaudibly. This already felt so wrong and vile, but he had to play the game. That was always how it was with Jake: just play the game and the player wouldn't get hurt, for a while.

"Well, I mean, I slugged a lot of these 'tough' guys." Jake rolled his eyes at the memory and Logan forced himself to let out a breathless laugh. His dark eyebrows twitched slightly, but he kept his composure. "They were no match for me, but you know what just really, _really_ sucked?" The boy practically spit the words in Logan's face and the latter flinched, forcing himself to keep his eyes open, to remain on Jake.

"What?" He asked politely.

"Being there!" Jake exclaimed, slamming his big fists down onto his large thighs. "I hated it because I couldn't be bad! Well, guess what? I got out on good behavior and, you know, my uncle pulled some strings..." Of course, Logan had completely forgotten. Jake had this big shot uncle that would get his beloved nephew off Scot free anywhere, even if it was juvie, which wasn't even jail.

"At least you're out now..." Logan said carefully, his tone laced with hope. He offered Jake a small and almost happy smile, but it was immediately wiped off when he saw the boy's increasing anger. As was his trademark, the junior's face grew red and his teeth began to grind against each other. He threw a punch, but Logan dodged it and that was when he began running. He pushed forward, using his arms as momentum, breath coming out at the right pace. He was running so far, his feet barely touched the ground. In fact, he was practically flying.

"Hey Mitchell, come back! I'm not mad! I'm sorry!" Jake's voice called from behind him, but Logan ignored it. He was not about to fall for that trick. He kept running and he knew exactly where he was going: to Carlos Garcia's house on the southern border of Minneapolis. The Garcia family lived in close proximity to his own; the distance was a ten minute drive and a twenty minute walk since Logan lived in a nice, quiet part on the outskirts of the south side of the city. However, because Logan was running faster than the speed of light, he knew he would arrive in Carlos' neighborhood in ten minutes. He just hoped he could throw off Jake before he arrived at the Garcia's; if he didn't, Officer Garcia could take care of him but then the Garcia family could be out. It was early evening in the middle of summer; they were bound to be out. However, this thought panicked Logan and he quickly forced it out of his mind. He was already pushing his lungs by running so fast, he didn't need to have a full blown panic attack. If he did, and he collapsed, it would just give Jake the advantage over him. Jake wouldn't care that Logan was already suffering, he would just want to add onto it. Beads of sweat began to pour down Logan's face, the sweat stinging his eyes, and he frantically wiped at them. He needed clear vision in order to get to Carlos' house; if he didn't and he took a wrong turn, he could definitely end up on the bad side of town. He was panting; his chest was heaving, but he knew he didn't sound as bad as Jake. In fact, the bigger boy was huffing and puffing, sounding much like the Big Bad Wolf. Logan could feel his muscles burn as he extended the distance between himself and home, but he couldn't turn around now. Another five minutes, and he would be in Carlos' neighborhood then at his house. All he needed were just five minutes. _Almost there, almost there_. Logan thought desperately, completely defying what his driving instructor had told him: he couldn't tell himself he was close to his destination if he was driving late at night and was tired because then he would grow even more tired. This proved to be true because Logan felt as if he could collapse any second now, but he kept moving. He needed to be with his friend, not running for his life from his bully. He didn't notice that his stride had shortened when his legs began to tire from all of the running that he had already done. He was also too caught up in this thoughts to notice, thinking about how he had never once wronged Jake or any of Jake's friends. In fact, Jake had taken it upon himself to make Logan's life a hell, and he had only entered high school last year. Logan knew he was bullied because of his highly intellectual brain, but he still hated it. It scared him to the point where his dreams were plagued with memories of the bad times. Some nights, he would wake up drenched in sweat because his sub-conscious remembered something that Jake had done to him. Logan had plenty of those to go around. He hated that his mind was plagued with those haunting memories because he would much rather do without him. However, they quickly became a part of him and he couldn't be rid of them no matter how much he wanted to. He was raked over the coals in his nightmares because of the huffing boy behind him, and he hated it so much. In spite of that, he continued sprinting. He knew Carlos was a mere two minutes away. If he could just get there... Then, he saw the lights of Carlos' part of town and never in his life had he felt so relieved. In fact, he was so relieved that a wide grin broke apart his face as he continued running. He couldn't wait to take a shower and rinse off the sweat; that was always a good feeling. But then, the town went out of view and was replaced with the ground. Logan collided with the pavement and he didn't need to check his flesh to know his knees and elbows had been scraped. He could have laid there and let Jake do what he pleased, but he didn't. Luckily, he was a genius. Of course, the genius thing to do would be to call 911, but Logan didn't. In fact, he quickly scrabbled to his feet and resumed running.

"Hey!" Jake yelled from behind him, obviously at a much lower level than before. It was a miracle that Logan was able to keep running. The pain in his knees had doubled now that he had fresh open wounds on them on top of the muscle pain, and his elbows were beginning to throb. The feeling of blood on the sleeves of his sweater caused his mouth to open slightly, temporarily disturbing the pace of his breathing. He was able to go back to it immediately, but the sight was enough to shock him. He was beat up _again _and Jake had barely even touched him! Logan was in such a state that he didn't even realize he missed the turn to Carlos' neighborhood; the good and quiet part with nice families, such as the Garcia's. It was only when he snapped out of feeling bad about his elbows when he realized where he was. The sirens were actually the main driving point in snapping him right back to reality. They were all around and the blue and red, with more red, flashing lights were blinding. The genius twirled around hopelessly; the lights and sirens overbearing his senses so he couldn't think straight. He was scared and alone in a part of town that Officer Garcia himself had warned the boys to avoid going in alone. Of course, Carlos lived next to this part since the police station was on the next street over, or was it just a few buildings down... Logan had become completely discombobulated in the short time he was here, he wasn't sure where anything was. The air was surprisingly calm for a bad environment, but most importantly it wasn't windy and so he couldn't check which direction was north. He remembered the summer that he was twelve, he had made a bet with Officer Garcia that he could memorize the cardinal directions that were necessary to get to Carlos' house from here, if he ever needed it. Needless to say, he had won and had feasted on chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream because of his victory. That had been three summers ago, but it felt like three years to Logan. He was lost in a neighborhood and he was so panicked that he couldn't think coherently. His usually left brain had become a jumbled mess and he spun around hopelessly. He was pushed in the shoulder roughly a few times and his first instinct was to find an abandoned dumpster in a quieter part of this neighborhood and cry next to it. In fact, he much preferred having his lunch money stolen by Jake than to be here. To the young fifteen year old, he had never felt so scared in his life. What was more, he began shivering from his body producing an overwhelmingly amount of sweat from all of the running he had just done. Now, it was cooling the sweat. His body shook as the cold seemed to ice his skin and he wrapped his arms around himself as he looked around once more. He almost wished he was sweating again just so he could feel heat, but of course it didn't come. He wasn't entirely sure why he'd chosen Carlos to run to once Jake was on his tail; he cared for the Latino and they were good friends, but some things the younger guy did were what Logan viewed as immature and scatterbrained. However, that didn't mean he wouldn't be loyal to Carlos and he knew Carlos was loyal to him. It was because of this train of thought that Logan landed upon the conclusion he'd been searching; again, it was because Carlos lived the closest to him and if running here had been hard, then running to either James or Kendall's house would have been harder. Now, Logan needed to concentrate on getting to Carlos' house in the physical state he was in now, meaning he didn't want to become even more scathed. His mental state, on the other hand, was in full panic mode and trying to control that was taking a lot out of him. After a few more minutes of walking in circles, he finally stopped and gathered himself together. He knew full well that if he expected to get out of this dreadful place then he would have to think rationally and calmly. He would have to don the cool facade he usually wore when he was certain of himself, even if at this very moment, he was very unsure. Logan took a few deep breaths before glancing around. There were still the sirens, but they weren't as overwhelming this time. The people were still bustling about around him, but none of them seemed to even notice him in the crowd. This he was thankful for since if he was out of sight, then he was out of mind, and pretty soon he would be out of here. Just to make sure, he wet his forefinger with a quick flick of his tongue and held it in the air. One of his eyebrows arched as he waited, his confidence slowly returning, but he did not feel a breeze against the wet part of his finger.

"Darn..." He muttered under his breath and glanced around. If he walked straight, perhaps he would retrace his steps and end up at Carlos' street though the Latino lived about ten houses down. Still, it was worth a try and Logan was on his face. Suddenly, now that he was moving in a straight line rather than circles, it was as if the people around him actually noticed him. His arms were still crossed tightly around himself, and he received many intrigued glances from both men and women. Yet, he kept his eyes downcast, focused on the pavement beneath his sneakers. A few more people collided into him and he winced fiercely when one of the pedestrians hit his cut elbow. He looked ahead desperately, hoping to see the end of this part and the name of Carlos' street. In the distance, he thought he saw it, but he wasn't entirely sure. The brunette found himself wishing he had brought his phone; then he could just call Carlos and ask if he and his dad could pick him up. But, no. He had thought he would go on a short, relaxing walk then he would be right back home, safe and sound. Some genius he was. Logan knew he couldn't be negative now, especially since he was still uncertain of where he was, confident or not. He could feel his heart radiating inside his chest as he left the middle part of the neighborhood to the edge; the edge that he hoped would lead him to Carlos. Despite the fact that he couldn't sing, he decided to mentally sing something inside of his head to make himself feel better, to distract from the 'being under a microscope' feeling he had from all these people. _Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother, you're stayin' alive, stayin' alive. Feel the city breakin', and everything shakin', and we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive_. He wasn't entirely sure where that came from, but it fit his mood and he continued singing. _Life going nowhere, somebody help me, somebody help me, yeah_. Who knew 70's music could be so fitting? A grin was trying to turn up Logan's mouth, but he wouldn't let it. The last time he had grinned tonight, he had gotten into a spot of trouble and he didn't want to risk that again. Not when he was so close to getting out of here.

"Don't cha know not to wander these streets alone at night, little one?" A voice suddenly asked, causing Logan to jump out of his skin. The accent was a thick Minnesotan one and he knew immediately the person called this neighborhood home. They walked in front of him, their face covered by a black hood and their voice made it hard to distinguish if it was a boy or a girl. "It ain't safe. Perhaps a little Speed will help ya out." The voice was a drawl, with a mix of hoarseness. Caramel colored fingers that were red from incessant and most likely chronic scratching pulled out a small bag that held a white substance before the bag was hidden from view again. He tightened his hold around himself to avoid any contact with those menacing fingers. They were the results of long term drug use and he never wanted his fingers to look like that.

"No... Thank you. I'm okay." He said hurriedly and briskly fled the scene, leaving the drug dealer alone in the streets. He thought he heard a cackle, but he kept speed walking. He really needed to get out of here. He had just avoided getting sold drugs and he was only fifteen. He knew for a fact that wasn't legal and he was shocked to know this was going on in his own Minnesota home. He knew not everyone around him could be a drug dealer; they had to blend in with the crowd to avoid getting caught. But, the one he had just met... Logan turned around, but the figure had disappeared. He swallowed then a new sensation got his attention. He bent his arm backward and saw the faint dark red outline of blood. He set his arm straight and lifted one of his knees. His jeans were stained red as well.

"Oh, shoot..." He murmured as he set his foot onto pavement again. He needed Neosporin for his battle wounds, not Oxycontin or any other kind of pain killers. He didn't want to end up like some of the people here. He was going to be a doctor, after all. _At least I'll know about some drugs when I'm working in a medical office..._ He didn't dare say this aloud, in fear of somebody overhearing and doing something bad to him. He wanted to blend in again and not be noticed. He wanted to be invisible. Tonight had been a night where nothing went his way, and Logan wished that at least blending in would be granted for him. He'd always thought of these neighborhoods as small and easy to navigate around, so long as the "outsider", if that was the word, kept a clear mind. Either he had been wrong or this neighborhood was bigger than average. He had never experienced anything like this before, always staying close to his quiet part of town and never going anywhere in the city without Officer Garcia. There was definitely a first for everything... Logan knew he had to get out of here soon; the question was, which way to go. There were methods he could have used, such as aiming off or using buildings as check points, or at least ones he recognized. The only problem was, he had been on the cusp of a full blown panic attack before and had not taken in his surroundings, choosing to focus on himself. His training in navigating around here using cardinal direction was at a complete waste, which he hated. This part of Downtown Minneapolis was what Logan deemed as a theme park, except it wasn't fun or enjoyable. Most times when the four hockey players would go to theme parks, he would spend much of the time calculating the circumference of a Ferris wheel and how accurate a person's aim had to be in order to pop a balloon with darts. On multiple occasions, either James or Kendall would tell him to shut up and enjoy the day. He wished the taller Kendall was here now, because he knew the blonde would be able to get them out of here safely. That always happened, even if Logan was seen as the genius of the group.

Then, Logan heard another voice and he allowed himself to shut his eyes for only a moment. Though his one and only experienced had only happened about ten minutes ago, he knew what the person wanted from him. His eyes had opened and he continued staring ahead before turning around to face the person. They were just as unsanitary as the last person he had interacted with and it was almost nauseating to look at them. However, Logan kept a straight face as he finally lowered his arms, his body temperature returning to normal. Every now and then, his fingers would twitch by his side, but the drug dealer in front of him didn't seem to notice. It was almost like a scene from an action movie, which Logan had seen a lot of. They both simply stared at each other and, for a moment, it felt like they had become frozen in time like Billy Pilgrim. Then, the moment was broken and time returned to normal. The people around them were walking at full speed and Logan could hear them all around him. This person was filthy and Logan took a tentative step back, only for the person to close the distance rather than keeping it extended.

"You look like you could use some _elevation_." There was major emphasis on the last word and Logan was at a loss for what to say. "How about trying some Coke?" The street term was familiar and Logan knew full well that he wasn't being invited to have a cold bottle of soda. "Usually, this stuff is pretty expensive, but I could give you a discount if that makes you feel bedder." Logan was surprised that he wasn't being surrounded by all of the drug dealers here. These people must be desperate to sell their stash, especially if they were going to sell it to him. He looked as young as he was and he couldn't believe that people would want to sell to him. It was true he was uptight, but that was to avoid getting into trouble. To do drugs just to feel some kind of euphoria would be completely ironic, not to mention stupid.

Finally, Logan opened his mouth and spoke, using every aspect of his being to keep his voice level. He didn't want to show his fright. "No, thank you. I'll pass." He offered the dealer a polite smile. The dealer's face slowly became stony and Logan took another step back. There was a darkened aura to his face and Logan was sure that if he didn't get out of there, the guy would physically lash out and the hit would be worse than anything Jake had ever done to him. This time, the distance between their bodies was not closed and Logan knew he should have taken the opportunity to run. Just as he was about to, the dealer spoke, "I think you won't." The voice was hoarse, an effect from long term drug use, but there was a rough and cold edge to it. In fact, it was just dripping in metaphorical cold. Again, Logan's fingers twitched at his sides as he found a way to see this straight, to get out of here without sporting any more wounds. The facial expression was the scariest thing that Logan had ever seen, and he was frozen into fear. Before he could say anything else, however, the sound of a car behind him and the rolling down of a window sounded in his ears.

"Logan!" A voice called and Logan had never been so relieved in his life. The drug dealer fled immediately, and the brunette turned around to see his best friend in the passenger seat of his father's squad car. The Latino was out of the car and rushing towards him immediately. Logan allowed himself to be brought into the younger boy's muscular arms and he clung onto Carlos' back. Carlos had just saved him from going into a very deep hole and, for that, he was extremely grateful.

"I-I tried to come to you, but then... I..." Logan blubbered, trying to get the words out but being overpowered by tears. He felt Carlos place his hand on the back of his head, keeping him against his upper chest and safe. The black sweatshirt-vest that he was wearing had become damp with the tears spilling from Logan's eyes endlessly. Yet, the Latino didn't say anything until Logan somewhat calmed down. Even then, he didn't comment on the stage of his sweatshirt. Still, Logan found it necessary to apologize for it. However, Carlos merely shook his head and discarded it as he let go of Logan to look at him. He moved his hands from Logan's head to his shoulders and Logan hastily wiped away at the few remaining stray tears.

"It's okay, Logie. You're safe now." The nickname was one that always caused Logan to smile, and this time was no different. They had come up with it randomly when Carlos didn't finish saying his full name. Thus, Logie was born. Carlos frequently used it and Logan always smiled. He wasn't sure how a nickname could make him happy as he wasn't trained in psychology, but he wouldn't dwell on it now.

"Thanks, Carlitos."

"You're welcome. Let's get you out of here." Carlos led Logan to the squad car and both boys climbed into the back. Logan noticed that Carlos was sitting unnaturally close to him, but he was soon distracted by the sound of the doors locking.

"_Hola_ Logan, I hope you're alright. Don't worry, we'll be out of here soon." Officer Garcia glanced at him in the rear view mirror and Logan smiled before giving him a quick wave. The sudden sound of sirens caused Logan to flinch before he realized they belonged to Officer Garcia's car. Carlos was giving him a concerned look, but Logan merely shook his head and mouthed, "it's okay." They sped out of the neighborhood and Logan was more than happy to leave this traumatizing night behind.

* * *

After calling and reassuring his mother he was alright and at Carlos', Logan immediately basked in the Garcia's hospitality. Once he was questioned about whether or not anything had hurt him, he was sent to the shower while Carlos washed his clothes. He dressed in one of Carlos' blue t-shirts and black sweatpants. His cuts were cleaned up, courtesy of Carlos, and then he was sat on the couch with Carlos draping a warm, flannel blanket around him. Set in front of him were a plate of cookies and a mug of chocolate milk, which Logan took eagerly. He was glad to be free of those sweat and blood stained clothes, and filling his empty stomach with chocolate. It was true that Mrs. Garcia was a certified health nut, but she was out of town for a meeting and Officer Garcia allowed Logan the treat. Logan chewed thoughtfully as Carlos and his father carefully watched him. Carlos was clutching his teal tank top, obviously planning on changing once this was over.

"Now, will you tell us what happened, son?" Officer Garcia asked carefully and Carlos leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on his knees and hands interlocked, dangling in the air. Logan looked from him to Officer Garcia before taking a sip of the milk. He was still unsure of what had happened and he needed to arrange his thoughts.

"Um..." He began. "Well..." And the story began. He told them everything and watched as the expression on Carlos' face darken slightly when he got to the part about Jake. Both of the Garcias were aware of what had happened, mainly because Officer Garcia had been the one to send Jake to juvie. Logan took two more cookies as he described his run from his house to Carlos' neighborhood. When he got to the part about the first drug deal, it was Officer Garcia's turn to have his face darken, but Logan pressed on, emphasizing that he refused to buy the drugs. Finally, the story was over and he leaned back. Carlos looked back at his father, who was standing behind him, before moving to sit on the couch with Logan. Carlos gave him a reassuring smile and Logan smiled in thanks back. They waited for Officer Garcia to voice his opinions on the subject, with Carlos helping himself to one of Logan's cookies. Logan smiled at the action and was about to say something before he heard Officer Garcia clear his throat.

"Logan, we are going to find Jake and send him to military school. This has gone too far and I don't want you to go home with bruises again. That will just take a lot out of your mother. We are also going to find the dealers, but I'll need to bring you down to the station in the morning. Carlos can come with you, if that makes you more comfortable." The policeman explained and Carlos looked back at Logan. The brunette nodded hopefully then proceeded to look back at Officer Garcia. "Okay, I'm going to go type up this report. You guys can stay up, but not too late."

"Gracias, papi." Carlos said gratefully and stood up to hug his father.

"Yeah, thank you." Logan said and the Officer gave him a smile before walking out of the living room.

"I'm really glad you're okay." Carlos said once his father had gone.

"Yeah, I am. Thank you so much for finding me, Carlos. You came at just the right time." Logan said, reaching for the glass of chocolate milk.

"Yeah, guess it was a good thing I kept nagging my papi into taking me to go get some corn dogs. He never lets me out there at this time of evening." Carlos sat back down, throwing his tank top over his shoulder and seemingly more at ease now that Logan was on his way to recovery. They allowed silence to follow this sentence before Logan finally spoke again.

"I'm kind of scared to go to bed." The genius would have never admitted such a thing, but he figured he had a right to considering how traumatizing his night had been. Granted, he wasn't as shaken up as he was before, but this night would be embedded into his memory for a while, perhaps for the rest of his life. He felt Carlos put his arm around him and he smiled.

"Do you want to watch T.V.? Papi won't mind as long as we're quiet." Carlos explained. Logan nodded and they rose in unison, with Logan adjusting the blanket as they walked to Carlos' room. Logan preferred watching educational channels, but for the sake of Carlos' sanity, he could watch something the complete opposite. They lounged on Carlos' bed before Logan discarded the blanket completely. He carefully set it aside as they sat back and watched Cartoon Network.

* * *

After about an hour of watching shows, the boys finally went to bed. Logan had forgotten about the predicament that had been this night for the time being, and he was glad about that. He climbed into the mattress that served as his bed and had been set up on Carlos' floor and watched as the Latino climbed beneath his own covers, now wearing the teal tank top with gray sweatpants.

"Good night, Logie! Have good dreams!" The Latino called down and one side of Logan's mouth cricked upward in his signature lopsided grin.

"Night, Carlitos. Right back at you." His eyes drifted closed and he allowed his mind to relax for the first time that night. Shifting on the mattress so he was comfortable, Logan drew up the covers and could already feel his body shutting down for the night. He felt safe in Carlos' room with the doors and windows locked, the environment completely silent, which was a nice change. It was exactly what he needed in order to fall asleep after a long night and he envisioned himself getting his medical degree and becoming Dr. Mitchell as he left the real world to go to his own, which everyone had little connection to.

* * *

**A/N**: I hope you guys liked this! I may write a sequel where Logan has a nightmare about what happened depending on how much feedback this gets. If you want to see that, just let me know! Thanks! :)


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